RENO – Texas Congressman Ron Paul said today he will decide “before June” whether to make another bid for president as a Republican candidate in 2012.

Paul, 75, in an interview before a breakfast at the Washoe County Republican Party office, formed an official exploratory committee on Tuesday in advance of GOP debates set for May.

“I personally have some reservations about what is required – the money raising; is the support there; do you sound credible; do people really want me to – and that’s why I’ve been going around the country and the reception has been pretty good,” he said.

Fox News and the South Carolina Republican Party are scheduled to hold a debate May 5 in Greenville, S.C.

Paul, R-Tex., has run for president twice, first as a Libertarian candidate in 1988 and a second time as a Republican in 2008. He is one of several potential Republican candidates to visit Nevada recently, including former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and, on Thursday, Donald Trump.

Nevada is an early caucus state for the Republican primary, with a date set for Feb. 18, 2012. It will be the third contest nationwide and the first in the West.

Asked what sets him apart from other potential candidates, Paul said: “The rule of law. That we ought to live within the confines of the Constitution. That we shouldn’t fight wars that are undeclared. We shouldn’t print money when it’s not allowed. We shouldn’t run up deficits.

“They say we’re on the fringe, but I think people who think we should have an empire, people who print money when they need it, and deficits don’t matter, I mean we’ve finally gotten to the point where everybody says, ‘hey, maybe we’ve over done it,’ ” he said. “I would say that they are the radicals and we are the moderates who just want to get back to common sense.”

Paul said it isn’t that the issues he raises are moving to the mainstream, but that “people are starting to recognize that what we are doing really doesn’t make any sense.”

Ralph McMullen, chairman of the Washoe County Republican Party, said he was pleased to have Paul visit in part to make up for the controversy at the 2008 Nevada Republican Party state convention.

The convention ended up in disarray after Paul supporters positioned themselves to win delegates to the national convention over GOP nominee John McCain. The convention ended up being shut down, and McMullen said the bad feelings from the incident likely played a role in Sue Lowden’s performance in the Republican primary in last year’s U.S. Senate race. Lowden was the GOP chairwoman at the time.

Asked about the “birther” controversy regarding President Obama’s birthplace, Paul said he would rather talk about more important issues. The release this week of Obama’s birth document should put the matter to rest, but Paul said the controversy never focused on the real issue, which is that Obama’s mother was a U.S. citizen and so his birthplace would not have mattered.

“I do think the war and the dangerous situation with the dollar and the debt, in perspective, those are much more important issues,” he said.

There are so many Americans that stand by you, us young Americans are open minded and see the truth. Its the spoon fed Americans that are standing still in old ways of War and Money Money Money however, are slowly waking up.
I hope you run in 2012, you have my Vote.

Rachel
Columbus, OH

anonymous

Definitely have my vote as well. We need an honest person in office who represents the founding fathers principles of this country, liberty.

Please run and we will support you with everything possible

Dorothy Keys

I wish you had won the first time you ran and I wish you could win now. But the one thing that was used unmercifully against John McCain was his age. They would tear you apart over it. Otherwise, I would be so happy to see you run and win.

an american

I can scratch you off my list with your more immigration/amnesty for illegals ideas. Just what we need. Another politician aiding in the demographic warfare against the American people. Your win would just mean the continuation of defacto open borders. Americans don’t want their country turned into not-America. I can guess that as a candidate you will not make your position on immigration known because as soon as you do many of the people that would vote for you will then change their mind.

Not to worry though. Within a generation or two the demographic changes caused by the tidal wave of legal/illegal immigration will make someone like yourself unelectable anyway. Can you imagine these people voting for a white guy from Texas? To give it a little perspective, something like 8% of births in the USA are children of illegal aliens. Then add in children of legal aliens and you begin to get the picture. What are you thinking about?

James Miller

American

http://police-state-watch.blogspot.com/ JTWilliams

Ron Paul does not support amnesty, by any stretch of the imagination! He may support a guest worker program WITHIN A HEALTHY ECONOMY, but no path to citizenship, no voting rights. He is a libertarian, but he realizes that securing our liberties today means having control of the borders. Ron Paul supports enforcing our immigration laws, and removing all welfare for illegal aliens!

I hope you’ll consider this, Dorothy. I believe that Ron Paul, if elected, was to somehow die in office, or contract some debilitating disease… would have been worth all of the effort, because for whatever time he was in office: he could bring the troops home. He could veto bills that would increase our budget and deficits and debt. To say that he’s old and so we shouldn’t vote for him (or that he’s not a likely candidate) may be judging rashly. Perhaps we should side on the idea of hope :) I’ll be voting for him, should he decide to run!

“Immigrants who can’t be sent back…should not be given citizenship — no amnesty should be granted.”
—-Ron Paul, Liberty Defined, pg 156

“Don not grant automatic citizenship to children of illegal immigrants born in the United States, deliberately or sccidentally.”
—-Ron Paul, Liberty Defined, pg 155.

Any other “facts” you would like to throw out there without actually taking the time to research, James?

Mike

Few older American policiticians have as acute a mind & philosophy than Ron Paul

Scotty26650

I did not see , or hear the conversation, between you, and Hannity. I only heard some
of it, second hand. Please read, and understand, the Fair Tax, before making statements about it! There is not an additional 23 % tax on goods, and services!
If the Fair Tax was implemented, it would only replace the currant taxes, on goods, and services. It would not be an additional tax! Know what you are talking about, before making any judgements. The false statement, that the Fair Tax would add 23%,
is wrong. That is what the Democratic Party preaches, when asked about the
Fair Tax! If President Obama would implement the Fair Tax, he would be a shoe-in for the next election. Our Country could solve most all of it’s problems, if the
Fair Tax was implemented. The people, or political party, that finally gets the Fair Tax
going, will become America’s heroes. It couldd be you! Read the Fair Tax, and understand it!